The hallways of a massive three-story school in west Louisville were nearly barren two years ago, when it enrolled about a third of the students it could serve.
The low enrollment — caused by an antiquated busing plan that shuttled the community's kids to schools far from their homes in an effort to address racial segregation — meant fewer electives, fewer extracurriculars and fewer opportunities for those who stayed at The Academy @ Shawnee.
That all changed last year, when Jefferson County Public Schools leaders introduced a new student assignment plan that gave West End families a choice in where their children go. The plan has proved more popular than JCPS anticipated , and on the first day of school this year, Shawnee will be nearing its capacity.
Hudson Middle , a new school formed as part of the plan, has also seen skyrocketing enrollment and will move into a larger building this year, less than a mile from Shawnee.
To district leaders, the increased enrollments — with 1,800 students spread between the two schools — are proof families wanted a different option. But despite additional resources, including hiring privileges and salary stipends, both schools are now struggling with the largest staff shortages in the district.
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On July 31, Hudson had job postings for seven teachers and four support staff members, while Shawnee was short more than a quarter of the teachers it is supposed to have. Job posting showed the 6-12 school still needed 20 teachers, an assistant principal, four security monitors, a safety administrator, a special education implementation coach and an instructional assistant.
The shortages are indicative of a failed promise by JCPS leaders to west Louisville's predominantly Black, high-poverty community, Jefferson County Board of Education Chair Corrie Shull said.
"I don’t think any school can be successful without being fully staffed," Shull said. "... They should do whatever needs to be done to attract professionals to those schools ... to ensure we haven't just left kids in schools with high concentrations of poverty without adequate resources. I think they can be successful if we had the resources properly allocated."
JCPS leaders, however, believe that while the shortages are concerning, the schools' futures are bright. Funding follows students, and as more families choose Shawnee and Hudson, more opportunities will arise.
Principal Holli Smith, who was hired to lead Shawnee at the start of July, said the school has already increased its support and programing by hiring separate middle school and high school principals, who will serve below her. For the first time, Shawnee will have a soccer team, cheer and girls volleyball at the middle school level, and Smith anticipates increasing course offerings in multiple areas.
Shawnee's increased enrollment "is a good problem to have," Smith said. "We wanted our families to choose us."
It also shows the district is making progress in changing "the stigma that's historically been with the school," she said.
To deal with the current shortages, JCPS has added auxiliary teaching positions at Shawnee and Hudson, which can be filled by people who have a significant number of college credits but have not earned a teaching certificate. This provides more flexibility in filling the roles.
Additionally, resource teachers who work at the central office level will be sent into classrooms on a rotating schedule until the schools are fully staffed, Superintendent Marty Pollio said.
If those measures do not fill the gaps, Pollio said teachers at schools that are under-enrolled could be moved into Shawnee and Hudson after the school year starts.
In the long-term, JCPS leaders are confident they will find a permanent solution, as they've done in the past.
Other schools have dealt with similar issues to Shawnee and Hudson and are now doing well, said Nate Meyer, JCPS' assistant superintendent of Accelerated Improvement Schools.
Stuart Middle, for example, had significant shortages a few years ago but now, even with its enrollment growing, the school is fully staffed, Meyer said.
He warned against viewing a "a two-year problem as a forever problem."
With strong leadership, Shawnee and Hudson will be able to retain staff, Meyer and Smith said.
"I think as people understand and trust the leadership and trust the changes that are happening ... people will want to come down there," Smith said.
"Before long, the conversation about vacancies will no longer be a conversation," she continued. "It will be about all the amazing things happening at Shawnee. … It's just going to take a little bit of time."
Contact Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS students are flocking to two West End schools. Teachers aren't following
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